Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Such gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur provide higher awards. In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player may vary.
Certain known gaming machines are configured to provide an award based on an outcome of a bingo-type primary or base game. In these gaming machines, a bingo card is provided which is divided into a matrix of positions or squares. For example, a gaming machine may provide a bingo card having five columns of five positions each. Certain known gaming machines assign a symbol (such as a numeral) to each of the positions of the bingo card. These symbols may be assigned based on a range associated with the positions of the bingo card. For example, a different range may be associated with the positions of each column of a bingo card, and the gaming machine may assign a position from the associated range to each of the positions.
Such gaming machines are configured to select or draw a plurality of symbols from a pool of symbols for a play of the game. The symbols are typically randomly selected from the pool of symbols, and typically may be selected only once for a single play of the bingo-type game. The range of symbols in the pool of symbols includes the ranges associated with each of the positions of the bingo card. For each symbol selected from the pool of symbols, the gaming machine marks or otherwise indicates any position of the bingo card with an assigned symbol which matches the selected or drawn symbol. The quantity of symbols selected from the pool for a single play of the bingo-type game can vary, but typically is substantially less the quantity of symbols in the pool of symbols.
These gaming machines provide awards to players wagering on plays of the bingo-type primary or base games based on combinations of the positions of the bingo card which are indicated after the plurality of symbols are selected. Specifically, these gaming machines analyze a pattern or spatial arrangement of indicated positions on the bingo card and provide an award based on that pattern or spatial arrangement. For example, such gaming machines may provide awards for a row of indicated positions, a column of indicated positions, a diagonal line of indicated positions, or other suitable patterns or spatial arrangements of indicated positions.
Certain known gaming machines also provide bingo-type games in which a player can place a wager on one or more bonus symbols which are drawn for a play of the game. Upon receiving an appropriate wager, such known gaming machines select at least one additional bonus symbol from the pool of symbols. For each bonus symbol drawn, the gaming machine indicates any matching positions and provides any awards based on the spatial relationships of the indicated positions. Thus, rather than drawing thirty symbols for a play of the game, an appropriate wager may cause such a gaming machine to draw thirty-two symbols.
There is a continuing need to increase the excitement and entertainment for players of gaming machines providing bingo-type games such as those described above. There is also need for new ways of providing better gaming experiences and environments at gaming machines. There is a further need for increasing the number of awards provided to a player for a single wager on a play of a bingo-type primary game.